A TMJ disorder linked to facial asymmetry is not new to a Redwood City chiropractic doctor for TMJ pain. Facial asymmetry shows a person’s face with unequal features, such as having one eye slightly bigger than the other, eye levels at different heights, ears at different levels or sizes, or crooked teeth.
These facial asymmetries sometimes result from an injury, years of smoking, or aging of the skin. But at times, it can be due to a TMJ disorder or a temporomandibular joint disorder. Our TMJ is the hinge that connects our jawbone to our skull, supporting our ability to speak, move our jaws, yawn, and chew food.
Your facial asymmetry may be linked to a TMJ disorder, and you may notice these things as well:
When you speak, eat, or engage in movement with your jaw, you may notice a clicking sound, and the bigger the movement, the more noticeable the sound becomes. Unfortunately, such movements can also be uncomfortable and painful.
This usually happens when you favor one side of the jaw when chewing. Your favored side of the mouth wears down faster and earlier than the other side, leading to your teeth wearing down unevenly. Sometimes we have a favored side whenever there’s hard-to-chew food. Eventually, the overused side of the face will twist to compensate for your bad habits.
Misalignment of the upper vertebrae of the neck can be the source of this pain. There are instances in which facial asymmetry is due to the misalignment of the upper vertebrae of the neck. This is one of the critical contributing factors to TMJ disorder. Your whole body will compensate when the top vertebrae’s alignment is out of place. Your facial muscles will then be more susceptible to shifting, especially if the misalignment has been there for quite some time. Luckily, your nearest Redwood City chiropractic doctor for TMJ pain can precisely correct these misalignments to avoid further shifting your facial muscles and getting rid of the pain.
If you notice a facial asymmetry you believe you do not have before, immediately reach out to the nearest Redwood City chiropractic doctor for TMJ pain. Advanced Spinal Care can identify if a misalignment in your upper spine is causing the shifting of your facial muscles. Call us at (650) 595-0500 or fill out this online form to book your appointment.
To schedule a complimentary consultation call our Redwood City office at 650-595-0500. You can also click the button below.
If you are outside of the local area you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.
To schedule a complimentary consultation call our Redwood City office at 650-595-0500 or you can also click the button below.
If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com
